The Frozen Throne
by DerpyGrooves
Summary: The Execution of the Failed Assassin, Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles and Subsequent Events. Arendelle is at war with the Southern Isles. Elsanna in later chapters.
1. The Frozen Throne

"Chief Advisor, tell me- During the reign of my mother and father, you did oversee executions, yes?" Elsa's voice echoed around the chilly castle, and her advisor's breath was visible as he replied.

"Of course, your highness." He said.

"By what means did you carry out these executions?" She asked.

"I, personally, did not carry out anything. I simply acted as their representative in legal matters." He was a shorter gentleman, clean shaven and with a reasonable haircut.

"Allow me to rephase- Those unfortunate enough to be convicted of a capital crime. How was it that they met their end?" Elsa pressed.

"Your father often allowed prisoners to decide between a firing squad or decapitation. I'm compelled to add- by any means, the killing of a foreign ambassador is unprecedented."

"Understood. For what crimes could citizens be executed?" The queen's eyebrow cocked to one side.

"The most heinous murders, treason and the like." He replied, looking at the base of her throne.

"Assassination, as well? Even attempted?" Her voice was very nearly mocking in it's casualness.

"Of course, your majesty. Even attempted. Regardless, summary execution is unheard of in the realm Arendelle."

"I would prefer, Chief Advisor, if you would refrain from tangential information."

"I understand, your majesty."

"You said prisoners were often allowed to decide their fate. What of the ones who were not?"

"A judgement reserved for the most hideous crimes."

"Explicitly, what did such a judgement entail?" Elsa whispered.

The advisor could be seen sweating despite the cold. "I shouldn't be so bold as to utter hearsay."

"No, please do." Elsa demanded, suddenly becoming very quiet.

"I have heard, in my capacity as Chief Advisor and Executor of Arendelle's crown, of a punishment fit for the most wretched and miserable degenerates."

Elsa was silent, leaning against the back of the throne, face tilted slightly upwards.

"A torture beyond imagining. To be encased in, and suffocated by ice. To have one's extremities flake off as frostbite strips his bones of muscle and tendon. Blood itself, expanding as it freezes, causing indescribable agony."

"Hans will be sentenced to death, of course." Elsa observed, slouched forward, resting her head on the back of her wrist. "I will be the one to carry out the sentence, personally." Frost could be seen spreading visibly across the throne's arm rest.

"Your majesty- your compulsion is understood, but I must advise against capital measures." He stammered. "It would be unwise to provoke the Southern Isles, especially given the tension between our states."

"Executor, the good prince very nearly killed myself, your queen." She reminded him, eyes flaring as she raised her voice. "Do you suggest I, in a million years, waste pity on this usurper?"

"Of course not, my queen. Your majesty." He replied.

"That same one who-" She stood up, dead-eyed and voice rising, and a flurry whipped through the castle. "-Very nearly cut down my beautiful, darling sister. Who I love dearly. Your princess."

"A despicable act!" The advisor declared, following her lead. "Princess Anna, the topaz of Arendelle!"

"That's quite enough. I have an proclamation for you-." Elsa hushed him, exhaling through her nose. "Let it be known, throughout the entirety of Arendelle, that the traitorous Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is to be put to death, and his remains will be interred in the dungeon, directly beneath the throne he so coveted. Go, now and announce this to the people."

He took the opportunity to take his leave, and Elsa slammed the door behind him with a bolt of ice.

**(Author's note: Critiques are encouraged. Thanks everybody!)**


	2. The Sky's Awake-

"Please have the guards rouse the ursurper, if you would." Elsa asked the next morning, breakfasting on chocolate truffles and tea. Anna sat across from her, seemingly numb as she ate. There was a silence between the two sisters that muffled everything as if a foot of snow had covered every surface, broken only by the sound of the chief of guard as he exited the room.

"I told you about him, didn't I?" Elsa asked, pointedly. "You can't marry a man you just met. Verbatim, those were my exact words."

Anna shifted uncomfortably. "You don't have to rub it in, you know." She replied, almost instantly regretting her petulant tone.

"I know." Elsa half-smiled, seeming to warm up a bit. "And who am I to evaluate matters of true love? Whatever there was between yourself and the usurper, I realize there's almost nothing I can do to ease the pain of that betrayal."

Anna sipped her tea, sensing her sister wasn't finished.

"That said, I also want you to know that, unlike you, I do not need your blessing for what I am going to do to him." Elsa chewed her lip, tapping her index finger on the side of the glass. "I hope you recognize that, in reality, I have no choice in the matter."

"I understand." Anna replied, and her eyes were glossy with tears.

"I love you dearly, my sister." Elsa set her glass down, and a bit of tea spilled off the lip of the cup, forming a jagged icicle. "And for that reason, it's essential that he be made an example of. This is for not just for the protection of myself and the realm, but for your sake. I cannot abide, for any reason, a person who would conspire to use you against me."

Anna sniffed hard, regaining her composure. She almost laughed through her tears. "He's such a bastard. How could I have fallen for such a bastard?"

"That commoner. The one with the reindeer." Elsa stepped out of her chair, walking around the table to comfort her sister. "He comes from a place of sincerity. You may not love him, but I feel his friendship will assist you in the aftermath of this betrayal. When the time comes, I hope you can forgive me to whatever degree you are able for my part in it."

* * *

Hans was awoken with a bucket of freezing water, soaking through his uniform and chilling him to the bone.

"Rouse the usurper, she said. That's one way to do it." One guard laughed.

"Good morning, usurper. Don't like the cold? There's a fair bit more where that came from." Chuckled the other, wedging his shoulder under Hans' armpit, the first guard following suit as they hoisted him, snorting and struggling, out of the cell.

"I am a prince!" He cried, hair still oddly perfect. "This is an act of war against a foreign dignitary!"

The guards laughed in unison. "You poor, wretched scumbag." Said the one.

"The time for diplomatic immunity has come and passed." Replied the other. The chief of guard was standing outside the cell, a document in hand.

"Let it be known," He started, reading aloud. "Throughout Arendelle and the World, that the Failed Assassin, Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles is, on this day, to be executed publicly by means of freezing-" He paused to cough hard. "-a punishment found suitable by the bylaws of our realm, and which will be carried out personally by our monarch, Elsa of Arendelle, the Ice Queen. Long may she reign."

"Long may she reign!" Shouted the two guards in unison.

"Long may she reign, indeed." Hans spat. "The second word reaches the Southern isles, my twelve brothers will come with twelve battalions each. 'The Ice Queen'. What a title. An absurd euphemism." The two guards began to march forward. "More appropriate would be the Queen of Monsters! The Witch Queen! Queen Elsa the Wretched Bitch! Queen Elsa the Freak!"

The one drove his elbow hard into the back of Hans' head, knocking him out cold.


	3. -So I'm Awake

"Elsa." Anna whispered, turning her head to lean into her sister hard. "Why do you insist on doing it yourself?"

"Remind me, what it that they say about sentences and swords?" Elsa asked, "That the one who passes the former ought to swing the latter?"

"Queen Elsa-" The chief of guard interrupted. "-Hans Westergard, the Usurper, awaits your judgement in the courtyard."

* * *

Hans would be chained by his wrists between two iron flagpoles- the two that once had flown the flags of Weselton and the Southern Isles, respectively, and hoisted onto the tips of his toes. By the time Elsa arrived, Anna following about three steps behind, his left arm had already successfully dislocated itself and he tilted dangerously to one side, putting weight painfully on the opposite joint.

"Hans." Elsa's voice was low, but everyone in the surrounding courtyard stood silent to hear the extent of the Queen's proclamation. "You have broken the laws of this realm, and threatened the sovereignty of Arendelle- Inexcusable treason. You attempted to assassinate myself by means of the sword, the same sword by which my sister proved her loyalty and devotion- not to you, but to the throne you so foolishly attempted to usurp."

Elsa's fingers flexed. "The evidence is undeniable, and it is obvious that your actions are beyond forgiveness. For that reason, the Crown of Arendelle has found it fit to put an end to your life. This is not only for the sake of the law, but for your own sake- that you should not be forced to endure another twitch of your own black heart, the corrosive influence of which is something any decent creature would surely find intolerable. You are not to be allowed last words, that Princess Anna and myself might be spared further obscenities."

With that, her hands issued forth a sheet of horizontal ice that flew through the air and, in a single motion, lopped off his head. His body went limp almost instantly, and his right shoulder could be heard audibly dislocating. Anna covered her eyes.

Elsa looked around at the small assembled crowd, saying in a loud voice. "As of this moment, Arendelle is at war with the Southern Isles. We will assemble an army by one week from today." She pulled her gloves on, just as the door swung shut behind her.

* * *

Two days later, a proclamation was received at the castle, bearing the seal of the Southern isles.

It read:

_To the PEOPLE of ARENDELLE (both CITIZEN and NOBLE), her COLONIES and any and all MANDATES, PROTECTORATES, DOMINIONS or other imperial TERRITORIES:_

_Know that Queen Elsa, the one you call the "ICE QUEEN" has committed actions in violation of international law so serious as to be considered unforgivable by the Southern Isles._

_As a gesture of good faith, we extend to you the following: You have twelve (12) hours following the receipt of this message to surrender this "Ice Queen" to us. If this condition is not met within the requested time, the Southern Isles and a coalition of allied states will instantly declare total war upon Arendelle._


	4. Overthrown

(WARNING: This chapter contains HEAVY Elsanna/Icest.)

That night four anarchists descended upon the capital of Arendelle, infiltrating the castle itself with the help of a complicit guard. The five conspirators wore head-coverings with the intent of obscuring their identities and would be found carrying anti-monarchical literature on their persons. Again, with the help of the guard, they traversed the castle in silence, the only disturbance of consequence being a servant-girl, who was silenced before she could raise alarm with a flurry of crossbow bolts.

It would later be determined that they had long discussed subversive topics at a cafe in a more agrarian part of Arendelle, but the investigators were surprised to find no evidence suggesting collusion with the Southern Isles. Indeed, it seemed to look as if political radicalism, in and of itself, was their main motivation- and the timing itself was never proven to be anything more than a coincidence.

By any means, it appears that of the group, two went to hide the body while the other three continued towards the royal bedchamber. There was another fight then with the two guards assigned at the time to stand sentry outside the door. The guards were both killed, but not before they could raise the alarm. Regardless, of the three assassins, two survived, one with only minor injuries, and they forced the door open to the Queen's bedchamber. At this point, it is believed that the two assassins who had been tasked with hiding the body returned, only to find a sizable group of guards charging in their direction. These two were killed, the only other loss of life being a guard who was struck with a bolt that passed under his chainmail, sticking deep in his side.

The two assassins who had infiltrated the bedchamber, upon realizing that the Queen was not present therein, laid down their weapons and surrendered. The worse injured of the two later died in custody, leaving a single assassin still alive- a young man by the name of Rikhard. A native of Arendelle.

* * *

Elsa and Anna, however, found themselves in a secret location just outside of town, sitting on the untreated wood floor across the room from one another. Originally, this was a place for storing foodstuffs, and the accommodations bore out that reality. The walls were plaster, the only window being a grate with heavy iron bars- something the guards had covered the moment they arrived to obscure the view of the new royal residents. The sisters each had a bed to themselves, set up in opposite corners of the room. An oil lamp hung in the middle of everything, giving off a low flickering flame.

"It smells a bit like apples, doesn't it?" Anna asked. The air was almost uncomfortably dry, and she itched her nose.

"I don't smell it." Elsa replied, "How do you know it wasn't potatoes, or oats, or something like that?"

"Because I know you like apples." Anna reasoned, "Safe enough to shelter an apple, appropriate for a queen's retreat."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Don't say stupid things." She admonished, internally smiling. It was still weird to hear the word queen being thrown around so casually. A pale pink blush lit up her porcelain cheeks.

"Forgive me, my queen." Anna said, feigning deference with a knowing smirk. "By the way, I have a gift." She lifted her skirt, exposing her calf, attached to which was a flat amber bottle by means of a belt.

Elsa felt her cheeks burn, making a point to avert her eyes as her sister undid the belt, setting the bottle on the floor with a low, glassy sound.

"Kristoff picked it out, you know how terrible I am at that sort of thing." She said.

"You're old enough to drink, you know. You didn't need to sneak it in." She chewed her lip.

"I know, I just don't need the guards thinking I'm a drunk." Anna replied, straightening her skirt. "Can you imagine?"

"You're such a kid."

Anna seemed pleased by the compliment. "I'm only the princess. You're the one with the real responsibility."

Elsa crossed her arms, face still hot to the touch. "What do you call that stuff, anyway?"

"Oh this? It's sort of a fermented cider, I guess. There's a trading post near the North Mountain that brews it." There was a lull in the conversation. "D-do you want a drink?"

"Does it look like we have any glasses?" Elsa asked.

Anna tugged hard at the cork, "Well, I was thinking- we could, you know.. It might not be that big of a deal if we drank out of the same bottle, right? I mean, we're sisters." She strained.

Anna's words echoed around Elsa's head, and she blushed harder. "Give me that." She sighed. She took the bottle, popping the cork with her thumb in no time. She passed the bottle back to Anna. "...Well?"

Anna paused. "You're gonna drink, right? I don't want to do this and have you sober, judging me."

"You're only the princess, aren't you? You don't have any real responsibility." Elsa replied, only relenting when she saw the petulant, pleading look on Anna's face. "Okay, sure. Whatever. I'll drink."

An hour later, Anna and Elsa found themselves leaning up against the wall, so close to one another their shoulders were touching.

"So, truthfully." Anna slurred, leaning hard on her sister. "Kristoff is a good guy, right?"

Elsa wished she could stop staring at Anna's ruby red lips. "Yeah." She replied, tilting the bottle back and taking another gulp.

"I mean, you know? He's like, I mean, you know, He uh..." Anna hiccuped. "Okay, okay, okay. Okay, so like.. He's a good guy, right?"

"Anna. Anna. Y-you've been talking about the same thing for twenty minutes." Elsa replied, trying to keep from laughing. "Kristoff is fine."

"I mean, I know..." Anna visibly struggled to find the appropriate word. "We love each other, like, big time..." She rubbed her nose, every freckle looking ready to sizzle and fly off, her face was so red. "B-but.. Mm..." She leaned into the crook of Elsa's neck, "Is there any left?"

"It's empty." Elsa lied, "You've had enough, regardless." She laughed, running her hand through Anna's hair.

Anna shifted slightly, looking into Elsa's eyes. She placed her hand on the inside of Elsa's thigh, and Elsa could feel her pulse double instantly. "I saw you looking up my skirt earlier." Anna breathed, getting very close.

"Anna, I-"

Anna leaned forward, pressing her lips against her sisters. When Elsa didn't shove her away instantly or protest, she deepened the kiss until it was broken by Elsa, who found herself gasping hotly.

Wordlessly, they kissed again. This would continue until they fell asleep, propped up comically against one another, sitting upright leaning on the plaster wall as the oil lamp flickered hotly overhead.

(Thanks for the feedback so far, guys! If you want to do some beta reading, feel free to get in touch for my skype! Thank you!)


	5. Ornithology

The next morning, the two sisters disentangled themselves from each other, not mentioning the adventures of the night previous.

"W-what happened?" Anna asked, feigning ignorance.

"You got drunk." Elsa explained. "Your hair is a disaster. Go back to bed."

"Mmm… oh." The princess replied walking over to sit on the edge of her assigned bed just as there was an ugly knock on the door.

It was the Chief of Guard. He delivered the news of the last evening- an attempted coup, in the middle of the night. Lives lost. It was a blur to Elsa, still bleary from her hangover. She decided to say something.

"The surviving anarchist-" She interrupted. "-What's his name?"

"Rikhard." He replied. "He's interred in the dungeon as we speak, under heavy lock and key."

"How long will it be until we can return to the castle?"

"Not until after the war is well underway, my queen." He replied. "It's far too dangerous, especially with subversives about."

Elsa looked annoyed, "I want him treated harshly, do you understand? If he has information that might lead to further arrests, you have my permission to obtain that confession by any means. We'll have returned to the castle by this time tomorrow."

In reality, Elsa had almost no idea what she was saying. The words just came forth from some dull, headachey void, and her body stiffened as she though passingly of Anna's kiss.

The Chief of Guard looked as if he was preparing to protest, but the Queen cut him off almost instantly.

"I'll fortify the castle myself." She pictured Anna, writhing under her, silhouettes, projected against the canopy of the Queen's big four-poster bed, betraying their sisterly lewdness. "Hiding in a spider-hole is not fitting behavior for a queen." Her face felt hot, although her words were just as regal as they had ever been.

"You will fetch my advisor." She added. "And bring him here, so we might plan our strategy in confidence."

* * *

There was a small dirt field outside the food pantry, and the door was unlocked to allow Anna some fresh air when the advisor arrived.

He stood in the doorway, bowing deeply and Elsa allowed him in, offering him a seat on the mattress opposite her own. She was still having trouble concentrating, and she could hear Anna chatting with a guard outside. The clucking of chickens.

Elsa, biting her lip, allowed her mind to wander. Those lips, so absurdly soft. Those hands, wrapped around her waist. She tried to remember every second of their encounter- Anna's scent, the content of her deep, lusty whispers. Her warmth, her boyish charm.

"My Queen, would you like to hear my advice? Or would you rather play outside with your sister?" The advisor inquired, seeing his Queen so obviously daydreaming.

"What use would you be as an advisor if you did not advise me?" Elsa replied, voice icy as she snapped back into reality.

"I think you know what I was going to say, my Queen."

"I wanted to hear you say it." She crossed her arms.

"You must visit the Norns." He said, and Elsa rolled her eyes visibly. "My Queen-"

"Oh, it's _tradition_." She scoffed. "Am I not Queen? Who shapes tradition if not for myself?" A pause. "I've always hated the Norns."

"The Norns shape tradition." The Advisor argued. "The Norns shape everything."

"The Norns, with their insane superstitions and delusional prophecies. I absolutely refuse to visit them, for any reason. And that's final."

"A declaration of war must be followed by consultation with them." He said simply. "The scandal would be enormous."

"I will send my sister in my stead." Elsa said "Anna is fully capable of speaking on my behalf, and will relay their wisdom to me."

"My Queen.."

"The crown feels this is an appropriate compromise."

The advisor knew not to press the issue, and his eyes scanned the room. "If I may ask, what is that?" His eyes landed on the mostly-empty bottle which had messily been slid under the bed.

"It was here when we arrived." Elsa lied. "Here-" She reached down, tossing it in his direction. "Please do dispose of it."

He caught it just as she passed him, pushing her way out of the storehouse. The door swung shut behind her hard.

The advisor looked at the bottle for a couple seconds. Then he uncorked it and gulped down the remainder.

* * *

"Why do you hate the Norns so much?" Anna asked, looking over the fence at a chicken run. "They just told mom I wouldn't have any problems with money. Yeah, duh. I'm a princess."

"Because they're liars. And crones. They envy youth, so they insult free will." Elsa spat.

"You take everything so personally." Anna remarked, "Hey, do you wanna feed them?"

Elsa looked visibly annoyed as the princess gave her a handful of chicken-scratch.

"Alright, so you just, uh.." Anna smiled. "Just throw it to them."

Elsa scattered the scratch over the fence, and the chickens flocked to where it fell, digging through the dirt for the feed.

"Look at how cute they are." Anna reached out slyly, taking her sister's hand in hers. "We should get some chickens, you know?"

Elsa looked startled for a moment, blushing hard as a small smile cracked her harsh expression. Anna leaned on her shoulder, and she could feel her heart running away from her.

(Hey everybody, it's me! Thanks for reading, and I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you're curious as to exactly what the norns were, here's a wiki article you might find handy. wiki/Norns - Tl;Dr, They were the Nordic equivalent of the Fates in Greek mythology, women tasked with visiting newborns to determine their fortunes. Elsa doesn't like them too much.)


End file.
